


Tell Me Twice

by betheotherguy (klancewithme)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, M/M, also uh, and so is someone else ;), first fic, i have no clue how this site works, pidge is trans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 15:55:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8759449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klancewithme/pseuds/betheotherguy
Summary: Lance speaks Spanish. Keith speaks Everything Else.After completing school with excellent marks, five elite members were chosen to be a part of the Voltron  Space Exploration Program (VSEP). Lance TOTALLY gets why he was chosen as a Paladin, and is thrilled that he's going on this journey with Hunk, Pidge, and Shiro. Dr. Coran and Allura seem super chill, as well! Everyone here fits in, and seems integral to the success of the VSEP.Well, almost everyone.Just who the hell is Keith?





	1. Space!!!

**Author's Note:**

> This is 100% self-indulgent. I have no clue what I'm doing. the last time i wrote a fic i was 12 and it was about a werewolf girl, so please go easy on me  
> also, please note that this wasn't supposed to be a story with a steady timeline--it was supposed to kind of come in little windows that showcased keith's multilingualism... however, the second I started writing this I realized it wasn't going to come out exactly according to plan. honestly, I'm just gonna see where I end up going with this, but apologies in advance if the timeline seems a little scattered. also, i've never really written anything romantic before, so small chance this will be a big mess?? here we go

Lance's job is pretty sweet. 

 

Come on. Space? Awesome. Adventuring? Awesome! Space adventures? _Double_ awesome! It makes sense that the coolest guy in the galaxy landed the coolest job, as a member of the elite Voltron Space Exploration Program. Their job is to chart planets yet unknown and spread intergalactic peace-- _Super Freaking Awesome!_ It adds up!

 

What _doesn't_ add up is just what _Keith_ did to become a Paladin of the VSEP. It's a program for, like, the most gifted of the gifted. Lance's credentials, as discussed above, are obvious--how mind-blowingly _awesome_ he is. Back at the Garrison, he studied battle tactics and advanced weaponry. He's something of a combat strategist, and not to mention a damn good pilot. Hunk is awesome with tech, especially at fixing it, and he's super well-versed in astrophysics. And if Hunk is good with machines, Pidge is the god of computers. They're the youngest member in the VSEP, and Lance is pretty sure they graduated from the Garrison at, like, age 15. To be frank, the kid's brains terrify him. And Shiro? Shiro's got it all. Good with tech, great warrior, amazing strategist. Super buff. He's the senior member of the program, and his knowledge and capability have never been questioned. 

 

Now, _Keith_ , Lance questions. Who the hell is he? And what the hell does he have that makes him Voltron-caliber? Keith is the only Paladin who Lance did not know and trust prior to being accepted into the VSEP. Okay, so Lance knows him a _little_ \--they studied at the Garrison together, and Keith had always rubbed him the wrong way. He's a pilot, albeit a mediocre one, but Lance'll give him that much. The only _other_ thing he's got going for him is his ridiculous long hair. Lance doesn't know how greasy locks and a grumpy attitude would get a guy accepted into the VSEP, but one thing is for sure--Lance is keeping a close eye on this Keith. The only reason Keith has yet to be given the Official Lance Interrogation™ is because Shiro vouches for the kid. Whoever he is, Lance plans on getting to the bottom of just what the hell makes Keith one of them.


	2. A Lovely Day to be Yelled At

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance might be able to understand why Keith made it into the program. Only a little bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no proofreading we die like men  
> On a more serious note, I would absolutely love if i could get someone to beta this for me! After i churn out a few more chapters I'll probably start looking for a beta via tumblr, but if any of you see this and (for some reason) would be interested in working with me, i would be over the moon if you got in contact with me about beta-ing! because I wrote this in maybe 40 minutes and did not look it over once!!! :))) ironically enough, I'm too busy to really read over this because i'm currently betaing someone elses fic lol rip me :')  
> Anyway, enjoy!

The second Lance sees their ship, he breaks into a grin. _Oh, yes._

 

The _Castillo V_ is an absolutely _beautiful_ spacecraft offered for use to the program by a woman named Allura Alfor. Her father, who is rich beyond belief and may or may not actually be royalty of some sort, is a major benefactor to the program and was crucial to its founding. Allura herself will be accompanying the VSEP crew on their expeditions, helping to chart their path. She will also be piloting her ship along with the help of one Dr. Coran, an eccentric man who was a member of a previous program similar to the VSEP. He's supposedly a great man to have along on the mission, seeing as he's spent more total time in space than all of the Paladins combined. 

 

Yesterday, Dr. Coran and Allura called the Paladins in for a meeting to preface their big launch into space. The meeting was mostly for Hunk and Pidge anyway, seeing as it was all last-minute things to know about flying the Castillo itself, and those two will be spending more time operating tech and working in controls or the engine room than any of the other members. Lance hardly has to worry about controls, seeing as he won't be operating a ship until he's sent out in a much smaller one later on, for missions in deep space. Essentially, he spent the whole meeting thinking, _Space! Space! Space!_ He couldn't help it. He had always been a space kid. His eyes had shot around the meeting room, his whirring mind temporarily putting his higher thoughts and his, _ahem_ , reservations about certain crew members aside in favor of ogling the images of the craft that the VSEP members would be boarding in _less than 24 hours!_

 

Those snapshots do not compare to the real thing. Up close, the _Castillo V_ is unlike anything Lance has ever seen, a blinding white, complete with shining chrome and blue accents, and something else Lance can't quite place that makes his eyes widen and his heart race. Maybe it's just the knowledge that he's soon gonna be on the ship? Whatever. He’s too excited to figure it out. 

 

Once the Paladins are totally suited up and the _Castillo V_ has been checked, double-checked, and cleared for takeoff, Lance is the first to bound on board, the other Paladins trailing behind at a more mature gait. And when they take off, Lance’s grin is the widest of them all. 

***

It isn't smooth sailing for very long. 

 

It's been a few hours since Allura showed everyone where the kitchen and their respected living spaces are. Once the tour is over and the arrangements settled, the Paladins spit up. Hunk and Coran disappear to the engine room to make sure everything is working properly, and Shiro and Pidge follow Allura to the control deck. This leaves Keith and Lance alone to decide what to do. Their eyes meet, and Lance raises an eyebrow. Keith gives a noncommittal shrug, and they seem to have come to a silent agreement to follow Shiro. 

 

The halls of the ship are a little tight. Wide enough for two friends to walk side-by-side, but just a little too narrow for strangers to do the same. Lance definitely does _not_ want to end up brushing this dude’s hand with his own, _no way_ , so he walks a step or two behind Keith. 

 

As the two walk, Lance glares at the back of Keith’s head. He realizes, _I still can’t figure out what this guy’s angle is._ It's not that he wants to distrust Keith, really! He just has no clue where he comes from, and it honestly worries him a little. Lance decides then and there that he’ll try to befriend Keith. 

 

Of course, just then, the ship hits a bit of turbulence--which, really? They're in space! There’s no wind!--that sends Lance tumbling into Keith’s back, slamming him against the wall. Keith hisses, and Lance stumbles off of him, nearly falling onto the floor. Lance is _mortified._ Before he can even gather himself up enough to let out a _holy shit I’m so sorry dude_ , Keith is turning around and spitting out, “Watch it, asshole!” as he holds a hand over his nose. Lance almost feels bad, until Keith’s words register. He frowns. “Hey, that wasn’t my fault. If anything, blame Hunk, he’s probably still messing with the engines down there.” Keith huffs. “Even so, a baby could keep its balance better than you,” he says before storming off. Nonplussed, Lance watches his retreating back for a second before following, pondering just how emo Keith looked just then, with his sneer and his asshole haircut. Hmph. Okay, not off to the best start. 

 

Lance catches up to Keith as he enters the control deck. “Hey man, putting your overreaction aside, I am kinda sorry…” “Overreaction?” Keith says, in what seems to be a little stronger than his default monotone, “You slammed my nose into a metal wall! I’m still bleeding!” And okay, he was bleeding a little, blood dripping down onto his upper lip. Lance feels his cheeks heat up. “Well I said I’m sorry. The _polite_ thing to do would be to say, ‘Thank you.’” “Thank you?!” Keith asks, incredulous. “You’re welcome.” “Argh! Why do you have to act like you’re so witty?” “Act? Who said anything about acting? This is grade-A charm.” “Does the ‘A’ stand for Asshole?” “Hey! At least I’m not some snobby hipster with a bad haircut!” “Oh, you’re _definitely_ snobby, and as for the haircut, do you own a mirror? You look like a total--”

 

“Boys!” barks Allura. Lance snaps out of it and takes a step back from Keith, who lowers his hands from their previous strangle-ready position before Lance’s neck. Lance has enough sense to feel a little bashful. Keith’s cheekbones flush red, and was that _really_ the first actual interaction the two had together? Lance wants a redo.

 

Allura is standing at the helm of the ship, staring at the screen before her, which is covered in text so complex it might as well be alien. A flashing red light is, however, universal, and even Lance can detect that something is going wrong when different sections of the screen begin to glow red at fixed intervals. 

 

The ship seems to slam into something, if only for a moment. The movement is jarring, to say the least. Lance actually manages to remain standing, this time around...Pidge is not quite as lucky. They careen to the side, slipping from their spot leaned up against a control panel. “Pidge, shouldn’t you be, like...buckled in, or something?” Lance asks. Pidge scowls--well, it’s more of a pout really. “There are no seatbelts in here!” They wave a hand around the room. “There are no seats! And why do you think I’m the only one who should be buckled up? I’m not a kid! And none of you are--”

 

“We have a slightly more pressing issue on the table at the moment, crew,” Shiro scolds, effectively silencing Pidge as he nods at the screen. The ship jolts again, as though being prodded by an impatient toddler. An incoming call request flickers onto the screen. 

 

With Allura’s acceptance, a face lights up half the screen. Displayed is a burly man, dressed in what appears to be some kind of uniform, like a set of dark army fatigues, paired with a leather jacket. Holstered at his hip is a serious-looking gun. The guy does not seem pleased to see them. 

 

“It looks like their ship’s ramming into us…” Pidge mumbles, having stationed themself at a control panel directly to Allura’s left. “Like bumper carts.” The man in the leather jacket gives no indication of having heard Pidge; rather, he takes a deep breath, and lets out a steady stream of something that Lance can only describe as _anger_. He hurls foreign speech at them so fast and so forcefully that Lance maybe possibly feels a bit like a scared 9-year-old. Maybe.

 

Allura opens her mouth, looking like she has something no doubt very diplomatic to reply with, but leather man just shouts something like, _“Nyet!”_ and spews out another sentence, louder this time, his hand coming to rest on his gun. You wouldn’t think that that would be very intimidating coming from a man who isn’t even in the room, but Lance is pretty sure it has the desired effect. Allura snaps her mouth shut, looking concerned and holding up her hands in a placating gesture. 

 

The man sighs exasperatedly, looking up and making a _what are you gonna do?_ sort of gesture, waving his gun around in a way that can _not_ be safe. He looks back at Allura, and yells a few more sentences before asking a snapped question. After a moment, he repeats it. When Allura merely looks on helplessly, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, the man yells his question one more time, slamming both hands--and the gun--on what must have been a table in front of him with a loud _bang_. He then yells something presumably down a hall, and is answered by a muffled _“Da, ser”_ somewhere offscreen. An alarm starts blaring within the _Castillo V_. Despite his limited knowledge in the technology department, Lance understands enough to recognize with a brief glance at Pidge’s screen that the other ship has locked some sort of weapon on them.

 

Allura turns to Pidge, who looks to Shiro, who turns to...Keith?

 

Keith, who then proceeds to step up next to Allura, clear his throat, and let loose a stream of _perfect fucking Russian?_

 

The man on screen refocuses his attention on them, narrowing his eyes at Keith. He asks another question, shorter this time. And there Keith goes again, deep voice making the harsh language seem almost melodic. _Of course Keith would know the angriest language on Earth. It suits him perfectly_ , Lance thinks, unaware that his jaw has dropped.

 

The man must be satisfied with Keith’s answer, because he holsters his gun and calls something quickly to someone offscreen. The beeping stops, and the red lights stop flashing. Pidge and Allura’s shoulders relax. Shiro silently sighs.

 

The man says something more to Keith, somewhat offhandedly. Keith pauses for a second, then offers a short response.

 

There’s another pause, and the leather man’s face contorts into something that looks painful. Lance thinks, _Oh frick, he’s done it now. Keith messed up, and we’re all gonna die, and I haven’t even seen Neptune yet. Oh, peanut butter, I’m gonna die, I_ \--

 

The man bursts into such a hearty laugh that Lance actually jumps. Pidge shoots him a look, and he just weakly flips them off. Keith silently chuckles. He and his new friend exchange a few more pleasantries before they say their freaking goodbyes and end the call. 

 

The following silence is deafening. Allura and Pidge have twin nonplussed expressions on their faces, while Shiro looks like a proud papa. Keith turns away, rubbing the back of his neck, somewhat bashful in the loss of his new russian mobster-spaceman pal. His eyes meet Lance’s, and they freeze, seemingly stuck in place. Lance feels a little like his viscera are melting. 

 

The moment is shattered with a, “Hey guys, we heard some, uh, commotion from up here...What’d we miss?” as Hunk barges into the room. Lance is the first to look away. Hunk is followed closely by Dr. Coran, who has what seems to be machine grease on his forearms, shirt, and strangely enough, in his moustache. Keith shrugs. “Ran into some Roscosmos officers who were on a supply run. Turns out they had no clue we would be here, and they thought we might be an enemy ship or something? Honestly, I really wasn’t ready to ask the guy too many questions.” 

 

As the Paladins catch each other up on the respective standings of the engine and what just happened, Lance can’t help but wonder just how many questions he’s ready to ask, himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -"нет" is Russian for "no". (Pronounced "Nyet.")  
> -"да сэр" is Russian for "yes, sir" (according to google translate, that is.) (Pronounced "Da, ser.")  
> Surprise of surprises, I do not actually know Russian! (I have started lessons on it in the past, but they consisted mostly of learning words like "house" and "mother.") While I only used 3-ish total words in Russian in this chapter, sorta, I would still like to apologize for any grammatical errors.

**Author's Note:**

> OH also!!! fair warning, I'll likely be inserting a lot of text in foreign languages. Like, ofc i'll have translations at the end of the chapter, but for the languages that i'm more well-versed in, i'll probably add little phrases or sentences of keith or lance speaking in a distinctly non-english manner, purely because i started writing this because i really fucking love languages. yall should add me on duolingo, i LIVE for that shit, i've started like 10 languages and use it every day holy hell BASICALLY i warned u


End file.
